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Friday, December 4, 2015

Whichever holidays you celebrate this time of year it can be a hectic time for you and your nursling. This interactive advent calendar has some tips to help you avoid "accidental holiday weaning"! We suggest you make the calendar full screen before clicking the numbers.

For further information about accidental holiday weaning, please visit one of the sources listed below and don't forget to reach out to a lactation counselor or peer mentor in your local Mom2Mom chapter, La Leche League, or other support group if you need help or advice! If you're local to the KMC, please feel free to reach out to info@mom2momkmc.org or membership@mom2momkmc.org or message our public Facebook page for information about our weekly Breastfeeding Cafes and presentations or to find out how to get in touch with a local lactation counselor.

Sleepy baby, not enough help, and just when things are
looking up your nipples become too sore to touch.
Don't give up mama 3 days along, you've got this keep breastfeeding strong.
Then comes the milk drunk face, but there's the fear to nurse in a public
place.
Nursing through growth spurts and your up all night.
To Co sleep or not that is the fight.
Still not enough weight gain, what's a mom to do?
Supplement like doctors say or keep relying just on you?
Don't give up mama 3 months along,
You've got this keep breastfeeding strong.
Now there's teeth that are razor sharp ; the tugging and biting makes you want
to stop.
Add in grabby fingers and short attention spans, you may be feeling like
closing up shop.
Don't give up mama 6 months along, you've got this keep breastfeeding strong.
Plugged duct or mastitis what's the best cure?
Salt water soaks, coconut oil, gravity nursing, power pumping, something will
work for sure.
Nursing strikes and solid food
Can put baby and you both in a bad mood.
Don't give up mama 9 months along.
You've got this keep breastfeeding strong.
It's time to wean don't wait another day.
That baby's too old is what all the people say.
But now you've perfected the craft of nursing while cooking and cleaning and on
the go.
And nursing in public without putting on show.
Don't give up mama 12 months along
You've done this, you've got this, keep breastfeeding strong

We thought this poem was
just too sweet and accurate not to share! Thank you, Elizabeth!

Monday, April 6, 2015

In September of 2014, I took a leap of faith to follow my
passion of helping mothers and babies; I took the CLC training course through
the Healthy Children Project. It was a MAJOR leap. I had been a stay at home
mom of an exclusively breastfed baby for 11 months. We experienced it all
together-- sore, cracked, bleeding nipples, failure to thrive, lip tie and tongue
tie, revisions-- you name it, we struggled with it and overcame it! So, why did
I drive 4 hours to Rochester, New York, pay for a hotel, and take the course?
Because where I came from, I had absolutely NO help. None, zero. I had to change that. I had to make sure that,
wherever I was, anyone that needed breastfeeding help and support in my area
would have it, because it is incredibly difficult to go through this
breastfeeding journey alone. So I signed
up as soon as it became available.

Before the course, I thought I was quite well versed about
breastfeeding. After all, my son and I overcame so much, and people asked me for
help all the time. I read KellyMom
articles and followed “Breast is Best” on Facebook; I was ready. However, the
information I learned during the training was more than I ever expected! Not
only did I learn so much more about breastfeeding, breast milk, and safe infant
feeding, but I also learned how to communicate with mothers and families, and
how to support them and help them achieve their individual goals. In addition, I
learned how to make procedures and educate others to help change the face of
infant feeding.

Day One of the course, I was so nervous. You remember that
first day of high school and you accidentally walk down the senior hallway? I
walked into the room and everyone seemed to have RN, PA, PhD or DR before or
after their names. Yep, first day of
freshman year again. I felt SO out of my league; I showed up with my pump bag
over my shoulder and like ten pens, shaking in my boots.

“Who was I to be there taking this course? “ I thought.

I was justa stay at home mom.

But by the end of day one I was empowered. We are all MORE
than JUST
a title. I was a smart, intelligent woman capable of learning and doing
whatever I had put my heart to. I was able to help others!

Since taking that course, I have helped so many mothers and
babies by going to their homes, doing breastfeeding assessments to help get a better
latch, and much more. All mothers and babies are different in their journeys,
and it has been such a blessing to be able to assist them in continuing those
journeys. I have also become a part of a large group of local families who have
the same heart and passion as I do.

I personally encourage everyone who has the passion for
breastfeeding, safe infant feeding, and has the heart to help others, to take
the course! In this local area we have a large group of support, but where I
just came from in New York, and where I grew up in Pennsylvania and Alabama,
this kind of support is not there. The knowledge I gained from this course has
been very valuable and I will use it for the rest of my life.

Mom2Mom KMC is hosting Healthy Children's Center for Breastfeeding Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC) Training October 17-21 2016 in Landstuhl, Germany and the registration deadline is quickly approaching. A group discount code is available with Mom2Mom KMC and funding may be available through MyCAA. There are limited scholarships available for local participants, the application can be found here: https://goo.gl/forms/5aTsTOPS1dN6UdbH2 You can register and get more information here. Please contact us on Facebook or at info@mom2momkmc.org if you have any questions. We hope to see you there!

Monday, February 2, 2015

With the holidays over and the weather still gray and gloomy here in Germany it seems like everyone is getting a little bit stir crazy. What do you do with yourself and your kids when it's too cold and rainy to get out of the house? Mom2Mom KMC has the perfect antidote for those cranky kids and lonely moms: come to Breastfeeding Cafe, of course!

But what happens at a Breastfeeding Cafe? Is there coffee? Breastfeeding? Yes to both! Breastfeeding Cafe (or BFC as we like to call it) is a wonderful place to meet and mingle with moms and their tots. Pregnant mamas, brand-new-moms, moms with toddlers, moms of multiples, working moms, and everyone in between can find something at BFC. Did you know that the 10th step in the World Health Organization's Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding is continued support? One of the best ways to achieve that is to build a strong support system of moms to get you through the rocky patches! And what better way to mingle than by keeping the kids busy with toys and peers? Snacks are provided by kind volunteers, coffee and tea are always available, and there are play areas set up for little kids as well as a play structure for the big ones!

Breastfeeding Cafes are a casual environment with no set schedule. Are you chronically late or having a hard time getting on a schedule with a new addition? No worries! We have our cafes for two hours and you are welcome to show up at any time and leave when you need to.

Do you have a question about breastfeeding? Certified Lactation Counselors are always available during BFC to answer questions, evaluate latch, and give encouragement. Or do you just need to vent your frustrations to like-minded-moms? BFC is also a great forum to unwind from all the daily frustrations of motherhood as well as a place to celebrate all the little achievements.

Maybe you need volunteer hours for your resume? Mom2Mom always has volunteer opportunities available, all the way from helping with set-up and tear-down at BFC, bringing snacks, serving on our event planning committees, or volunteering on our Board of Directors!

There are so many reasons to come to a Breastfeeding Cafe! We hope to see you there!

Breastfeeding Cafes are held weekly on Ramstein Air Base. We also have a Double Duty BFC twice a month on the weekend! For more details, please visit our Facebook group.

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About Me

M2M KMC recognizes the difficulties that the military life imposes on new mothers, and strives to help mothers reach their personal breastfeeding goals despite these difficulties. We connect new or expectant mothers with Peer Mentors, who are volunteers who have successfully breastfed at least one child and who have been trained by M2M KMC to provide advice, moral support, and guidance to help improve breastfeeding rates.
We also serve the breastfeeding community in the KMC by hosting a weekly Breastfeeding Cafe every Wednesday 10:00 - 12:00 in the Ramstein Youth Center unless otherwise advertised. The Cafe has free tea, coffee and something to nibble on, and is open to all who have access to Ramstein Airbase. Come when you can, leave when you need to. We look forward to meeting you!